Begonia plant named ‘BKPBERP’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Begonia  plant named ‘BKPBERP’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and mounded plant habit; sturdy plants with freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; and double-type flowers that are purplish red/pink in color.

Botanical designation: Begonia x hiemalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKPBERP’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR/APPLICANT & ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Assignee, Beekenkamp Plants B.V. of Maasdijk, The Netherlands on Sep. 25, 2020, application number 2020/2347. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant and/or the Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia x hiemalis, commercially referred to as Elatior Begonia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BKPBERP’.

The new Begonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact, freely branching and freely flowering Begonia plants with attractive flowers and good garden performance.

The new Begonia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Begonia x hiemalis ‘BKPBEEFR’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,684. The new Begonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘BKPBEEFR’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in April, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands since June, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BKPBERP’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BKPBERP’ as a new and distinct Begonia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Sturdy plants with freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Double-type flowers that are purplish red/pink in color.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the mutation parent, ‘BKPBEEFR’. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of ‘BKPBEEFR’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia are more compact than and not as         open as plants of ‘BKPBEEFR’.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia have purplish red/pink-colored         flowers whereas plants of ‘BKPBEEFR’ have duller pink-colored         flowers.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of Begonia x hiemalis ‘Elektra Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,967. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of ‘Elektra Pink’ in plant habit as plants of the new Begonia are more mounding than and not as upright as plants of ‘Elektra Pink’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BKPBERP’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) are close-up views of a typical flower bud and the upper and lower surfaces of typical developed flowers and leaves of ‘BKPBERP’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements were grown during the autumn in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 19° to 21° C. Plants were eleven weeks from planting rooted cuttings when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Begonia x hiemalis ‘BKPBERP’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Begonia x     hiemalis ‘BKPBEEFR’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,684. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at temperatures about             25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 35 to 36 days at             temperatures about 21° C. to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             light brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent             on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots; plants of the new Begonia have not been observed to             form tubers.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching habit; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, broadly upright and mounded             plant habit; overall plant shape, obovate to narrowly             obovate; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate             growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 16.3             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 19.5             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 20.4 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit with about two basal branches per plant each             with about four secondary branches; pinching is not             required. Length: About 8.9 cm. Diameter: About 7.5 mm to             8 mm. Internode length: About 1.8 cm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Aspect: Erect to about 40° from vertical. Texture             and luster: Sparsely pubescent; moderately glossy. Color,             developing: Close to 152B to 152C. Color, fully developed:             Close to 146C; surfaces exposed to direct sunlight, slightly             tinged with close to 152C.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 10.3 cm. Width: About 8 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate.             Apex: Acute to bluntly acute. Base: Oblique, lobes             occasionally imbricate. Margin: Crenate to serrate; coarsely             undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety; very slightly glossy. Texture and luster,             lower surface: Mostly smooth and glabrous with sparse             pubescence along the veins; velvety; matte. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface:             Close to between NN137A and 139A; margins, strongly tinged             with close to 183A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close             to 146B tinged with close to 182C; margins, strongly tinged             with close to 184A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to between 147A and N189A; venation, close to 147B.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 191A tinged             with close to 183D; venation, close to 146C. Petioles:             Length: About 3.3 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Strength:             Flexible. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Sparsely to moderately pubescent; moderately glossy. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146B; at distal end, slightly tinged             with close to 182B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146C; at             distal end, slightly tinged with close to 182B. Stipules:             Quantity per leaf: Two at the base of the leaf. Length:             About 8 mm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Broadly ovate. Apex:             Obtuse to broadly acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margins:             Entire. Color, upper surface: Close to 145A; towards the             margins, close to 180D. Color, lower surface: Close to 147C;             towards the margins, close to 180C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Rotate double-type sterile male flowers             arranged in axillary compound cymes; freely flowering habit             with about four flowers per cyme and about 200 flowers             developing per plant during the flowering season; flowers             face upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower freely and continuously from spring into the autumn             in The Netherlands; during the winter in a greenhouse,             plants begin flowering about 40 days after exposure to             photoinductive treatments.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten             days on the plant; flowers not persistent; plants maintain             good substance for about 20 to 30 days in an interior             environment.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 9.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.6 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter, flattened:             About 0.9 cm to 1.2 cm. Shape: Obovate; flattened. Texture             and luster: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; matte and at the             base, very slightly glossy. Color: Close to 181B.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth: About 2 cm. Tepals:             Quantity and arrangement: Two per flower, opposite. Length:             About 2.4 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate to             nearly orbicular. Apex: Rounded. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire, not undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous, velvety; matte. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Smooth, glabrous, moderately velvety; very slightly             glossy. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 55B;             towards the margins, close to 53D. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 51A; towards the base, close to between             179A and 180A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to between             55B and 63C; towards the margins, close to 63A; venation,             close to 185D; color does not fade with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 51A; towards the base, close             to 181C; venation, close to 182A; color does not fade with             development. Tepaloids: Quantity and arrangement: About 32             arranged in about nine whorls interior to the tepals.             Length: About 2.1 cm, varying between 1.4 cm and 2.7 cm.             Width: About 2 cm, varying between 1.2 cm and 3.3 cm. Shape:             Reniform to obovate. Apex: Obtuse to rounded. Base: Truncate             to cuneate. Margin: Entire, not undulate. Texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous, velvety; matte.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous,             moderately velvety; matte. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 63B; towards the margins, close to 58C.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 64D; towards the             margins, close to 58C. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to between 63B and 63C; towards the margins,             close to 63B; venation, close to 185D; color does not fade             with development.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm to             4 mm. Angle: About 45° from lateral branch axis. Strength:             Moderately strong; flexible. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous to sparsely pubescent; moderately glossy. Color:             Close to between 152A and 199A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Angle:             About 30° from the peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong; flexible. Texture and luster: Moderately pubescent;             moderately glossy. Color: Close to 176A.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Two per flower,             opposite. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape:             Reniform. Apex: Obtuse to broadly praemorse. Base: Broadly             cuneate. Margin: Finely ciliate. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; very slightly glossy.             Color, upper surface: Close to 180B; towards the base, close             to 146D. Color, lower surface: Close to 182A; towards the             base, close to 147B.         -   Reproductive organs.—None observed, all structures             transformed into tepaloids.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Begonia as flowers are             sterile. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Begonia plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Begonia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed     to tolerate high temperatures of about 35° C. and to be suitable for     USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘BKPBERP’ as illustrated and described. 